A Week in The Wilderness
by CrazyKitten2112
Summary: 20 years after the FAYZ has ended the families of Sam, Astrid, Caine, Diana, Edilio, Roger, Dekka, Penny, The Breeze, and Quinn camp out in the woods that were once part of the FAYZ. Interested? Of course you are. AU where Caine, Penny, and The Breeze survive. Now, ask yourself, if I owned Gone would this AU have to exist? T for safety.
1. Guide

The Temple Family

Sam (35): Head Chef at _Three Surfers and a Fish Fry_

Astrid (35): Stay at home mom

Willow (18)  
_Tall and very pretty with shoulder length dark blonde hair and blue eyes._

Austin (13)

_Nerdy looking boy with blonde hair and blue eyes._

Samantha (12)

_Mildly attractive girl with light brown hair and blue eyes._

Amelia (9)

_Pretty girl with curly brownish blonde hair and blue eyes._

Carter (4)

_Energetic boy with light brown hair and blue eyes._

The Soren Family

Caine (35): Host, director, writer, and producer of the political satire show _I'm Always Right_

Diana (35): Stay at home mom, philanthropist, and former underwear model

Isabella (12)

_Very pretty girl with tan skin, wavy black hair, and brown eyes._

Alexander (10)

_Buzzed brown hair and striking, dark blue eyes._

Victoria (8)

_Dark brown hair that is parted on the left side with bangs on the right side of her face and brown eyes. Elizabeth's identical twin._

Elizabeth (8)

_Dark brown hair that is parted on the right side with bangs on the left side of her face and brown eyes. Victoria's identical twin._

The Escobar Family

Edilio (35): Stay at home dad and equal rights activist

Roger (35): Artist and equal rights activist

Justine (12)

_Long, straight, brown hair and green eyes_

The Mince-Talent Family

Dekka (35): Stay at home mom and equal rights activist

Carla (33): Novelist

_Wild, curly auburn hair and brown eyes_

Brianna (10)

_Mixed race girl with wild, curly hair_

The Gaither Family

Quinn (35): Fisherman and supplier of _Three Surfers and a Fish Fry_

Lola (35): Manager of _Three Surfers and a Fish Fry_

_Australian girl with curly sandy hair, freckles and blue-green eyes. Created by Person O' Fun._

Bruce (15)

_Boy with dark hair, blue green eyes, and a surfer's body._

Bethany (13)

_Blonde girl with freckles and dark eyes._

The Shales

Damian (36): Director

Pale skin, brown hair, and grey eyes.

Penny (32): Special Effects Artist

Tyler (3)

Looks like an Asian version of his father.

The Kelleys

Brianna: Race car driver in the Indie 500


	2. Chapter 1

**Samantha Temple**

It wasn't a very long drive to the woods outside of the FAYZ memorial, but with my crazy family it sure felt like one. My dad was trying to focus on the road while my mom was having a break down in the passenger seat of our mini-van.

"Do you think five cans of bug spray is enough?" my mom wondered.

"Definitely," my dad replied.

"What about the tent? Do you think it's too big?" my mom asked.

The younger kids had taken the back seat, so I was sandwiched between my two older siblings Willow and Austin. On my left, Willow was texting one if her friends and completely ignoring our family. On my right, Austin was studying hard even though he already got grades that I would kill for. In the back seat, my little sister Amy was wiggling around in hopes of seeing her reflection in the rearview mirror. My hyperactive little brother, Carter, was turning a slightly annoying car ride into a miserable one by singing songs from his favorite TV shows at the top of his lungs. We'd tried doing everything we could to shut him up, but nothing was working.

Eventually, we arrived at the campsite and piled out of our mini-van. The Gaithers had already shown up, and were setting up their tent. We didn't really need to say "hi" to them since our families are pretty close. My dad is the head chef at the restaurant that Quinn and Lola Gaither founded together.

By the time that the Gaithers had finished pitching their tent and we were halfway through setting up ours, the Escobars had shown up. I dropped my work and ran over to hug my best friend, Justine. Their family had spent the first month of their summer in Honduras, so I hadn't seen her for a long time. I ended up helping her family pitch their tent, since my family had enough people without me.

Justine's family definitely doesn't look like your typical family. In fact, they don't really look like a family at all. With long, straight, brown hair and green eyes she didn't look like either of her dads. We had always guessed that she looked more like her surrogate mother than anybody else. Still, anybody who knew the Escobars would tell you that they were one of the tightest knit families they'd ever met.

"I'm so excited for this camping trip!" she exclaimed.

"Of course YOU are, Justine. You'd probably live out in the woods if your dads let you," I said.

Before she could respond, another car pulled up and out stepped the Mince-Talents. My dad's friend Dekka casually greeted him, and then started pitching the tent while her wife and daughter started to chat with everybody else.

Next, Brianna Kelley sped up in small blue car. She stepped out of the car, looking exactly the same as she did the last time I saw her. She wore ripped jeans, tennis shoes, a baggy t-shirt, and a baggy black jacket with "The Breeze" written on it in a fancy cursive font.

After all of the families had gotten their tents up, a mysterious black car with tinted windows pulled up. An equally foreboding family stepped out of the foreboding car. They all wore black coats and evil pouts. The Shales had arrived. The father, Damien Shale was notorious for directing some of the goriest horror flicks of the century; but it was his wife Penny who really scared people. She was the top special effects artist for said movies, but she'd started her career of making horrifying illusions when she was in the FAYZ. It was scary to think she made somebody scratch their eyes out when she was my age.

There was only one family that still had to show up, but I think we were all secretly hoping they didn't. They were the only people here that I was actually related to, the Sorens. By the way that they act, you would think my mom and Aunt Diana were the sisters. The two of them are super close, but they're always bickering about something stupid. It's not them who are siblings, though. It's my dad and my Uncle Caine. They tolerate each other, but they don't exactly have a great brotherly bond. Or even a brotherly bond. Or a bond at all.

The Sorens are totally loaded because my Uncle Caine is the host of one of those weird political comedy shows that always go over my head. That's turned all of their kids into complete and total brats. The twins, Victoria and Elizabeth, never let anybody else hang out with them. Alexander is the snarkiest kid I've ever met. For a 10 year old, he has some pretty good insults. Unfortunately, those are the only words he ever uses.

Those three are nothing compared to Isabella. She's an overdramatic, self-centered bitch who struts around like she's the queen of the world. She expects people to care about every little thing that's ever happen to her. Worst of all, she feels like she needs to beat me in everything. There was a year when I was taller than her, so she would wear heels whenever she saw me. We were five years old. What kind of family lets their five year old wear heels? Answer: the Sorens.

Ten minutes passed, twenty minutes passed, half an hour passed. We were beginning to hope that they wouldn't show up, but then a jet black Rolls Royce pulled up. Out a main with well-groomed hair, an arrogant smirk, and the stubbly beginnings of a beard. I instantly recognized him as my uncle Caine. He walked around to the passenger's side of the car so he could open it for my aunt Diana.

I saw a flash of envy on my mom's face as my aunt stepped out of the car. My mom is pretty, but she's a little on the chubby side since she doesn't have much time to work out with five kids. My Aunt Diana, on the other hand, makes it into online photo compilations like "10 Tantalizing Trophy Wives" and "Hottest Moms in Hollywood."

The kids stepped out of the car in age order. Isabella stepped out of the car like Cinderella stepping out of her pumpkin carriage, Alexander stomped out, Victoria jumped out, and Elizabeth hopped onto the ground like a fairy. All of them wore blue button down shirts and designer jeans. I couldn't wait to see how this Beverly Hills family adjusted to life in the wilderness.


	3. Chapter 2

**Diana Soren**

My worst nightmare had come true. We were officially _that family._ I knew we would never be as popular as the Temples or the Escobars, but are we really worse than the Shales? Did we all suddenly forget about how psychotic she'd been in the FAYZ? Then again, Damien had made some pretty good scary movies. All Caine had done was go on TV and act like a major asshole. A charismatic and almost likable asshole, but an asshole all the same. Jokingly initiating "Hug a Terrorist Day" (because terrorists are people, too) made for good ratings, but it hardly made somebody popular at gatherings like this one.

The only people who actually said anything to us were Astrid, who waved at me happily, and the Escobars, all of whom politely greeted all of us. The rest of them just glared at us. It wasn't a hateful glare or anything, but they definitely weren't happy to see us.

"Told you we shouldn't have come to this," Isabella whispered.

"What are you talking about? This is exactly why I wanted to come. We need to prove to them that we're not who they think we are," I told her.

"God, mom. Could you be any sappier?" Isabella wondered.

I looked at Caine, trying to hold back laughter. He was doing the same.

"Just start pitching the tent," Caine instructed.

"Alright, Daddy," Isabella responded agreeably.

The rest of us followed her lead. Unfortunately, none of us knew how to pitch a tent. We labored aimlessly for a couple of minutes before Alex asked if he could go to the bathroom.

"Yeah, I'm totally gonna let you say you're going to the bathroom and then find a quiet spot in the woods to sit until we've finished putting up the tent," I replied.

"What makes you think I would do that?" Alex wondered.

"Been there, done that," I told him, reflecting on how I got out of most group projects at school.

**Isabella Soren**

It took us a couple of hours but, eventually we got the tent up. It wasn't exactly "well done" or anything and it would probably fall over if it got really windy. I was pretty sure that it would last us through the night. Still, it would've been better if any of the other families had helped us out. I knew that my parents had done some pretty bad things in the FAYZ, but did us kids really have to suffer for it?

While we were setting up the tents, my Uncle Sam had started making salmon burgers. I was going to go get some, but then my dad called a family meeting. The twins and I turned around, but Alex didn't. I walked back to go see him. I put my hands on my hips and shot him my most threatening glare.

"What part of "family meeting" don't you understand?" I asked.

"The reason why we have to have them," Alex replied.

"It doesn't matter why we have them. They're mandatory."

"I'm sorry, almighty princess Isabella. I didn't know they were mandatory," Alexander teased, bowing down to me.

"Are you mocking me?" I asked, employing my "be careful how you answer this"voice.

"No, no. I would never do that," Alexander insisted sarcastically.

I was tired of trying to argue with my brother, so I dug my ruby red fingernails into his arm and dragged him back to the tent. He struggled to get free, but I had an iron grip.

"It took you two long enough," my Daddy said disappointedly.

He wasn't home very often, so I tried to impress him whenever he was.

"I was just making sure that Alex actually came to the meeting," I informed him.

"That's great. Now, your mother has something she'd like to tell you," Daddy said.

Damn it. Anytime my mom makes an announcement it's "be nice Isabella," "do this Isabella," or "I'm not buying you that, Isabella." Both of my parents treat me like Cinderella. The only is difference is that my Daddy treats me like the girl in the blue ball gown while my mom is the wicked stepmother. I don't have wicked stepsisters, but I would take 27 of them in a heartbeat if it meant I got to get rid of Alex. It's like he lives to make me miserable. Every time I succeed at something he has to mock me. He makes fun of me for all the stuff I love like theater and student government. We can't all sit in our rooms all day reading magazines like he does. Some people need to actually do stuff to have fun.

"I know that none of you want to be here, but this really means a lot to me. I really like these people, and I want to show them how great you all are. So, please just try and be nice. For me," my mom preached.

All of us kids mumbled in agreement as they exited the tent. I was almost out the flap, but my mom put her hand on my shoulder.

"What do want?" I asked.

"Oh, don't look at me like I'm the spawn of the devil. I just want you to try and get along with Samantha this year," she told me.

"Why should I? She'd rather hang out with Justine anyway."

"You're right, she probably would. That doesn't mean that all three of you can't hang out, though."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to settle for being the third wheel. Plus, I have nothing in common with either of them."

"That's because both you and Samantha are you're your fathers' daughters, while Justine was raised by Roger and Edilio."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Justine is going to be super nice, so you won't have a problem getting along with her if you just give her a chance. Unfortunately, it means that Samantha is your polar opposite. She's kind and humble, but she lacks your charm and ambition. You just have to try your best to be nice, then I'm sure you two will get along fine."

"Like Daddy and Uncle Sam?" I asked doubtfully.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid," my mom answered.


	4. Chapter 3

**Isabella Soren**

I still wasn't exactly sure why my mom cared whether or not Samantha and I got along. Sure, she had her reasons, but that doesn't mean they were good ones. I could tell that there was no getting out of this. Luckily, my mom never forced me to like Samantha. I just had to get along with her. Luckily, I'm the kind of person that can get along with anybody. It just takes a well thought out plan.

Step 1: Divide and Conquer

If you want somebody to start liking you, catch them when they're away from their best friend. If you try and butt in the middle of the conversation they're going to think you're pushy and obnoxious. Sometimes this is hard because they have separation anxiety whenever they're not with their BFF every second of every day, COUGH COUGH Samantha and Justine. In that case you need to be clever. I noticed that Justine was still in line for her salmon burger, so I sat down right next to Samantha at the disgusting, splintery picnic table. There was still room for Justine to sit on her other side, so I nudged her down the bench a couple of inches. That meant there was still room on the bench, so Samantha didn't know what I was up to. It also meant that Justine wouldn't have enough room to sit down, so she'd go find somewhere else to sit.

Step 2: Flattery and Lies

Start with a compliment that's not directly related to them, but makes them feel good anyway.

"Wow, your dad makes really good salmon burgers," I said.

"Thanks," Samantha replied.

"You're welcome."

In this stage of the plan politeness is key. If they say thank you, say you're welcome. If they sneeze, say bless you. I know it sounds pre-school, but it's actually really effective when manipulating people, especially family members.

"So, what do you like to do for fun?" I asked.

"I've been surfing since I was a little girl, but I also really like to read," Samantha answered.

"Wow that is so cool! I wish I knew how to surf. When did you learn?" I wondered pretending like I actually cared about surfing.

"My dad taught me," Samantha answered.

"That's awesome," I lied.

Step 3: Put the "Impress" Back Into Impression

"What do you like to do?" Samantha asked.

"Tons of stuff. I do student council, speech team, theatre, and professional modeling," I listed.

"That is a lot of stuff. I'm actually on the student council at my school, but I have no idea what speech team is. I don't really like being on stage, but sometimes I go see the school play at my school. Also, what do you mean by professional modeling," Samantha answered.

"Well, speech team is where you pick a piece from a play, or a book, or something like that. Then, you read it in front of judges who evaluate you on your public speaking skills. Last year I did a JFK speech in the great speeches category, but this year I'm thinking of doing something more humorous. Now when I say professional model, I do mean professional. I get paid and they put my pictures in advertisements and stuff. It's awesome. I would've started years ago, but my mom wouldn't let me do it until I was in middle school because she didn't want me to be "exploited,"" I said.

"I can tell that you like the spotlight," Samantha replied.

"You could say that," I said humbly, pushing my hair out of my face for dramatic effect.

Step 4: Find Out Their Weaknesses

"I hate all that attention. I feel like everybody is depending on me, on it seriously freaks me out," Samantha replies.

"You have stage fright?" I asked.

You need to know EXACTLY what gets them down. If you get it slightly wrong, you have almost nothing to use against them.

"No, I just don't like people depending on me. I'm not worried about looking stupid, I'm worried about letting the people I care about down," Samantha answered.

"That's so noble of you," I complimented.

You need to bring back the flattery in this step so people don't figure out what you're up to.

Step 5: Seal the Deal

"Look, Samantha," I began.

"Just call me Sam," Samantha cut in.

Note to self: remember that she doesn't like being called Samantha.

"Sorry, Sam. What I was trying to say is that I feel like we haven't gotten along very well in the past. I'm not really sure why since I never did anything to you, but I'd like to change that. Would you like to try being friends?" I asked.

"Sure," Samantha answered.

Step 6: Enjoy Your Personal Servant

"Looks like your Mountain Dew is almost gone," I noted.

"Oh, yeah. It is," Sam replied, looking down at her drink.

"When you go throw out the can, would it be too hard for you to get me another coke?" I asked.

Notice the way I phrased that question. I issued it like a challenge. A friendly challenge, but a challenge all the same.

"Thank you soooo much!" I said, when Samantha came back with my soda.

That's the final step to manipulating somebody, make them feel like a million bucks for doing almost nothing.

These tips can manipulate almost anybody. The only people who are immune to it is my immediate family who have lived with me long enough to figure it out. It's worked on everybody else, though. Little kids, old people, teachers, and now my cousin Sam.

**A/N: Hey guys, there's a review box right down there and I would be very happy if you used it. If you don't know what to say I have some questions you might like to answer.**

**1. Who's your favorite family?**

**2. Which one of my OCs do you like best?**

**3. Which family/OC(s) would you like to read more about?**

**4. Have you read any of my stories before, if so which one?**

** Shout outs for anybody who answers!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: The hiatus is officially over! :) Shout outs to Breeze Xxx and Booklover1367 for reviewing the last chapter.**

**Isabella Soren**

"Hey, Isabella! Justine found a lake, and we're gonna go swimming in it," Sam encouraged me.

"Sorry, I didn't bring a swimsuit," I told her.

"Neither did either of us. We're just going to jump in our clothes," Sam replied.

I really wanted to tell her that their clothes were ugly T-shirts and shorts that could be replaced for about five dollars if you really wanted to continue wearing ugly clothes. Their clothes were replaceable to say the least. My clothes weren't so cheap. My shirt alone was almost $300! My parents would kill me for ruining it with disgusting lake water. Ooh, that last part was the perfect excuse. I would say that.

"I'd absolutely LOVE to go swimming you guys, but these clothes are designer. This outfit probably costs $1,000 or so. My parents would murder me if I ruined it," I said, probably overdoing the fake sincerity.

"Wouldn't doubt it," Sam muttered under her breath.

Sam was making it pretty hard to get along with her. I knew she was talking about my dad. I have a notoriously short temper, but I've learned how to control it well enough. People insulting my dad is one of the few things that still sets it off. Still, I had an image to maintain.

"Funny, it sounds like I heard you insulting my father," I said with a sinister calm in my voice.

"Oh, like you never insult my dad," Sam shot back.

"Actually, I don't really insult your dad. Why would I? It's not like I have any material. He was a hero, he's nice, he's funny, and he actually has a decent amount of money. Most important, he's actually there for you!"

**Samantha Temple**

I just stood there, not sure what to say. Was Isabella jealous of me? I had never imagined rich, beautiful, and talented Isabella Soren would be jealous of me. I wasn't pretty like Willow or smart like Austin. I was just Sam. I had a normal boring life, a normal boring family, and normal boring hobbies.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Isabella asked.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Like you pity me. There's no reason to pity me just because my dad works a lot," she replied.

"Well there's no need for you to always try and beat me at everything," I countered.

"I think I do a lot more than just try, Samantha."

"It's just Sam!"

"Whatever you say, Samantha."

"This is a waste of time. I'm done trying to hang out with you."

**Bruce Gaither**

About 15 minutes after Sam and Justine found it, almost everybody was down at the lake. It was weird to see everybody getting along like a family even though most of us weren't related. While the adults chatted on the shore, we kids and teens were hanging out by the water. I was probably old enough to go talk to the adults, but I'm not exactly the most mature person in the world. Plus, they were mostly just talking about their not-so-good ole days in the FAYZ.

The only kids who weren't fully submerged were the Temples. Willow Temple was tanning on the beach, nose buried in a copy of Wuthering Heights. The youngest Temple, Carter, was tanning too, but not in the way you'd think. He had smeared lake clay all over his body and called it a "clay tan." Neither of those things looked very exciting to me, but it beat Austin's idea of a good time. He had smeared himself in sunscreen and pulled out a biology textbook. Amy wasn't doing much of anything either. She was just floating on a raft while wearing oversized sunglasses. The only one of them who actually knew how to have fun was Amy. She was playing Marco Polo with me, my sister Bethany, Justine Escobar, and the two little Soren twins, Victoria and Elizabeth.

The rest of the kids seemed to be having fun, too. Tyler was floating around with water wings on his arms, nervously eying the deep water. Alex Soren was flirting with Brianna Mince Talent. Alex would splash Brianna, she would tell him to stop, so Alex would promise that he was done splashing her, then he'd splash her again, and the cycle would repeat itself. It was a vicious cycle.

We kids were having so much fun that my parents, Sam Temple, and Brianna Kelley ran over and joined us in our fun. Carter also attracted his mother's attention, but something told me she wasn't itching to be clay tanned herself.

Eventually my dad had the idea to have the ultimate family chicken fight tournament. I got on top of my dad's shoulders, Bethany got on mom's, Sam got on her dad's, Amy got on Willow's, Justine got on Edilio's, Brianna got on Dekka's, Tyler was on his dad's, and Alex got on his mother's shoulders. Caine Soren mysteriously disappeared when my dad first said the words "chicken fight," so the Victoria got on Brianna's shoulders and Elizabeth rode on Astrid's. Carter would've rode on his mother's shoulders if he had not covered his entire body in mud. Sitting out of the chicken fight was his punishment.

When the fight began, things got wild. People were shoving, clawing, and doing anything they could to knock their opponents down. My mom and sister went for me and my dad from the get go. We held 'em off well enough, but we couldn't knock them down. We were looked in the ultimate battle of the sexes when we heard the first splash. Elizabeth and Astrid were out. Next, Amy and Willow fell to Victoria and Brianna who were rampaging through the water and grappling with anybody they found. The next team down was Tyler and Damien Shale. The toddler didn't stand a chance against us serious competitors. Justine and Edilio were the next ones down because they didn't exactly have the killer instinct. The next duo to fall was Alex and Diana, whose mother had gotten tired of holding him on her shoulders.

Eventually, it was just Little Briana and her mom, Victoria Soren and Brianna Kelley, and our family. I was so caught up in trying to take down my little sister that I didn't notice the Mince-Talents go down. I was just about to take down Bethany and my mom when Victoria and Brianna barreled into us, knocking both Gaither duos down at the exact same time.

"Aw man, just when I was about to win!" I complained.

"Did you seriously think you were about to win? Mom and I had that in the bag," Bethany replied.

"Oh yeah! We won! We won! We won!" Victoria Soren cheered.

"Heck yeah we did! Nobody beats The Breeze!" Brianna Kelley cheered.

Suddenly, Caine and his daughter Isabella came barreling into the water. They took Brianna and Victoria by surprise and knocked them over.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Victoria protested.

"Life's not fair," Isabella replied, wearing the exact same smirk that her father wore.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'd just like to warn you that there's a some pretty heavy swearing near the end of the chapter. **

**Brianna Kelley**

"I'm going out for a jog. I'll be back in a few minutes," I told Edilio, who was the only one that was already awake.

Running in the woods wasn't the safest activity in the world, but I've never been too concerned with my own safety. What I have been all about is speed. I can't run as fast as I used to be able to, I'm still pretty quick.

As I run through the woods, it really hits me how much my life has changed from the last time I was in them. I'm a little more logical now, but luckily not too logical. I've managed to satisfy my need for speed with NASCAR, but it's still not the same. I'm maneuvering a car, not moving myself with nothing but the power of my body. Despite my life changing, I haven't changed very much. I'm still loud, fearless, and cocky. When my girlish braids made the other drivers and the media poke fun at me, I stopped tucking them into my helmet and started showing them off.

I'm not sure if it was runner's high or a just being back in what used to be part of the FAYZ, but I was seeing the trees blur by. I was feeling faster than I had in a long time. It was the ultimate moment of nostalgia.

Suddenly, I was back at the campsite. Edilio was sitting there, looking floored. Could I have gotten my powers back? No, I lost those long ago. Still, the look on Edilio's face told me otherwise.

"Breeze," Edilio began, sounding as docked as he looked.

"What is it?" I asked, sincerely hoping that I knew what it was.

"I think that you have your powers back," Edilio said.

I cheered loudly, almost hoping to wake people up.

**Samantha Temple**

"Oh god, where are mom and dad?" Willow asked, right being woken by the sound of a grown woman whooping happily.

"Don't worry, they're asleep," Austin said.

The three of us let out a sigh of relief, but Amy and Carter just looked confused.

"Oh thank god, that would've been so embarrassing!" I said.

"What would've been so embarrassing?" my mom asked, getting out of her sleeping bag.

"That's what I wanna know!" Amy said.

"We heard a woman screaming outside and we thought it was you," Willow explained.

"I still don't know how that could be embarrassing," Amy said.

"Diana," my mom growled.

**Astrid Temple**

I couldn't believe those two! I knew Caine didn't like listening to rules he didn't make himself, but Diana? I seriously thought that woman would have more class than that. I was stormed out of my tent to give them a piece of my mind. Luckily, I didn't see my brother in-law and his wife going at in the middle of the camp site. I saw something much worse.

The Breeze was zipping around the campsite at the speed of light. She must've been cheering out of sheer joy that she'd rediscovered her powers. As the other families poured out of their tents, I saw many different reactions. All of the kids were impressed since this was the first time they'd seen something like this. Some of the parents, like Edilio and Quinn, were equally as shocked as their children were. Dekka and Caine both looked happy, but I'm pretty sure it was for different reasons. I couldn't tell what Penny was thinking since I had never had the opportunity to get to know her. Only Sam and Diana seemed to share my sentiment that this was a not good at all.

**Diana Soren**

That night, after all the kids were asleep, we adults had a meeting. We all sat in a circle in the middle of the campsite. I'm not sure why we chose that position, it made us look more like scared little kids than adults. Then again, that's what we really are isn't it? Scared little kids just trying to get away from our memories, which might just become a lot more than memories pretty soon.

"So, Brianna, what were you doing when you got your powers?" Caine wondered.

He didn't seem to be interested in running away from his memories. I was disappointed to find that he planned on doing the exact opposite. He was trying to play it up like he wasn't affected by this, but he had been flicking his hand all day. He had taken me for a "romantic" walk in the woods along the exact same path Brianna had run.

"I don't know, just running," she said.

"So maybe we can regain our powers by making the same motion," Caine said.

"You've been trying that all day and it hasn't been working, love," I said teasingly.

"Well, I don't plan on giving up," he replied with a dark determination in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a while now.

"Well, you should. We all should. We don't need to bring anything else from the FAYZ back," Astrid declared.

"Shut up, Astrid. You have no right what to tell us what to do. Do you know why Astrid?" Caine asked.

"No, I don't. However, the fact that you're an immature blowhard leads me to presume that you're going to tell me anyway."

"Correct. Now, the reason that nobody will river listen to you is that you never made us want to listen to you. Sam made you people want to listen to him when he saved that bus, I used manipulation and threats, Albert used money, and Edilio used hard work. What did you do Astrid? Annoy us all with pointless information?"

"It wasn't pointless! It could've helped us to survive!"

"Then why didn't you use it that way? All your knowledge is pointless if you don't put it to good use."

"Shut up about the fucking FAYZ!" Astrid shouted.

Everyone fell silent. I was relieved when Caine finally spoke because it was getting hard for me to hold back laughter. I don't know why, but it's always cracked me up to hear Astrid swear.

"Why not Astrid? We're still in your "fucking FAYZ." Take it from somebody who knows. I still get death threats for the stuff I did under that dome. Even if you don't, you're still in it. Otherwise you wouldn't freak out so much when I started talking about it. We're never getting out of the FAYZ Astrid. Why can't we have the powers to go along with it?" Caine asked.

**A/N: I was starting to get bored so, the powers are back... and that's not even where the drama begins. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Edilio Escobar**

Things have been weird since The Breeze rediscovered her powers, to say the least. The little kids worship her like a superhero, the older kids have a sudden interest in the FAYZ, and most of us adults are just plain worried. There are only two exceptions to my last generalization: The Breeze and Caine. It makes sense that Brianna, would be happy to get her powers back. I don't think any less of her for that. It's Caine who worries me. He almost never used his powers for good, and he hadn't matured much since the FAYZ.

Personally, I blame his TV show. The fame went to his head, making him more egotistical and less mature. I don't really know how Diana puts up with him. I don't think anybody does. If somebody did, it would be Astrid.

She already has tons of theories as to why The Breeze got her powers back. My favorite is that The Breeze's body hasn't been exposed to radiation in a while, so it's simply readjusting to the still radioactive area. She calls that one "radioactivation." The only problem is that if it's true Caine will probably get radioactivated pretty soon with all the time he's been spending in the woods.

**Samantha Temple**

"Mom, when do we get to go home?" I asked.

"You know the answer to that, Sam. We arrived on Sunday, the day after that we had the big chicken fight, and Brianna Kelley was radioactivated the next day. It's been three days, not counting today. That means we have three days left after this," My mom explained, "Why? Are you not having fun?"

"No, all that anyone's doing is sitting around and talking about the FAYZ," I complained.

"Well, maybe you could go for a hike," my mom suggested.

"With who? Justine's playing ladder golf with the Shales," I told her.

"Then why don't you do that?" my mother asked.

"Because ladder golf is boring and the Shales are just creepy," I replied.

"First of all, keep those opinions to yourself. Secondly, quit whining," my mom snapped.

**Isabella Soren**

"Mom, do you know where daddy is?" I asked.

"He's in the woods, doing a pretty good impression of a crazy hermit," my mom replied bitterly.

Oh god, she was either on PMS or fighting with daddy. Either way, she was going to be a monster. I had to get out of that tent, quick.

"I'm gonna go on a hike with Samantha," I told her.

"Cool. If you run into your father, tell him that I request an audience with the mighty and all powerful king," she spat, putting extra acid into the words "all powerful."

Yep, they were definitely fighting. That meant I actually had to go on a hike with Samantha. She got kind of spacey around that time of the month, and avoiding her was the best thing you could do. When she was fighting with daddy it was as if she was on the lookout for people that she could bring down to her level of misery.

When I was outside of the Temples' tent I could hear Samantha getting nagged by Aunt Astrid. Samantha said the one thing you should never ever tell your mom: "I'm bored." So, her mom was thinking of stupid suggestions that nobody our age would ever want to do.

"I hate to interrupt, but if Sam doesn't have anything to do we could go hiking together," I suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Aunt Astrid exclaimed.

Samantha trudged out of the tent muttering curse words under her breath.

"Why do you wanna go hiking anyway?" she wondered.

"Because my mom is totally pissy," I said, not wanting to let her know that my parents were fighting. I don't need her to think I'm from sort of broken family.

"Why?" Samantha asked.

"I love how you think I know," I replied.

**Samantha Temple**

I was surprised by how much I actually liked hiking. When my mom had suggested it I thought it would just be walking, but it really feels like so much more. The fresh air clears your mind, allowing you to get some deep thinking done. The trees overhead shelter you from the sun without making it too dark and cold. You see animals that you'd never see at home on the sides of the trail. It's a good reminder that the world isn't all about you. So, obviously Isabella didn't feel the same way about nature that I did.

"I have no idea why I thought it would be fun to go hiking. It's so boring," Isabella complained.

"Shut up and live a little," I told her.

"I do live, just not in these boring woods," Isabella retorted.

"Really, because you look miserable whenever I see you."

"Do you know why I look so miserable? Because I have to see you."

"God, Isabella why do you hate me so much?"

"You're just so obnoxious. Everybody loves you, but you still have no self-esteem. On top of that you're lazy, whiny, and I'm pretty sure you were born without a spine."

"Well, you're no better! In fact, you're a hell of a lot worse! You're manipulative, self-absorbed little bitch that nobody even likes!"

"Whatever, your just saying that because you're jealous."

"Why would I be jealous of a bitch like you?"

"I'm prettier than you, smarter than you, richer than you, and more talented then you. Plus, people actually notice me. You're just one of those boring, bland girls that nobody ever notices and nobody ever cares about."

I was about to respond when my Uncle Caine stepped onto the path. I'm not really sure why he'd been wandering through the woods, but I was too happy to care. This was just perfect! Isabella was going to get in soooo much trouble!

"What's going on, princess?" he wondered.

"Oh, nothing daddy. I'm just hiking with Samantha. Mom told me that if I saw you to tell me that she was looking for you," Isabella replied.

"Isabella, what exactly did your mother say?" Uncle Caine asked.

"She said, and I quote, "If you run into your father, tell him that I request an audience with the mighty and all powerful king,"" Isabella recited.

"Now tell me, is she "ignore her for an hour" mad, "fake a business call" mad, "buy her a diamond necklace" mad?" my uncle asked.

"How about you just go and talk to her? She'll only get angrier if you try to ignore her," I said.

"Hey, that's actually pretty smart. Thanks Sam," Uncle Caine replied, before walking off towards the campsite.

I glanced over at Isabella, who looked so jealous that I almost expected her to blush green. She didn't she just raised her hand to slap me across the face.


	8. Chapter 7

**Isabella Soren**

I watched in shock as my cousin sailed into the trunk of a tree. I hadn't even touched her. How did that happen?

"Samantha?" I asked cautiously.

I walked over to see her laying at the roots of the tree. She was breathing, but I wasn't sure if she was conscious or not.

"Samantha?" I repeated.

"What the heck was that?" She asked, gasping for air.

She was fine, I had only knocked the wind out of her.

"I seriously don't know. I was just about to slap you and then you went flying," I said.

"Does that happen often?!" Samantha wondered.

"No, but it does run in the family," I told her.

"Are trying to tell me that you have your dad's powers now?" Samantha asked with terror in her voice.

"I don't know, let me check."

I flicked my hand again, and sent lightly bumped her into another tree trunk.

"Yep, I do."

"That's just great," Samantha muttered.

I laughed and ran back to the campsite.

**Astrid Ellison**

I was woken from a peaceful nap in my tent by the sound of Isabella Soren shouting, "Daddy!" over and over again at the top of her lungs. I didn't really care what she was going on about. Honestly, I was just glad it wasn't one of my children shouting "Mom!"

I let myself fall back asleep, but it was only a few minutes before Sam came in and shook me awake.

"Astrid! You need to come out here," he said urgently.

He was obviously worried about something.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Just come and see for yourself," Sam said.

I followed him out into the campsite to see Isabella Soren lifting a napkin into the air without touching it. She had developed her father's powers. I watched as the napkin faltered in the air like a moth. She'd obviously been wasting most of her energy trying to impress her father, who wasn't exactly encouraging good behavior. I can't read lips very well, but I had a pretty good idea that he was egging her on to lift something bigger or to hold the napkin higher in the sky.

This girl was going to become a menace to the world if she wasn't properly disciplined. Since her father didn't seem interesting in doing anything but enabling her, I would need to take this up with her mother.

I snuck across the campsite where Diana was waiting with her other children.

"Diana," I whispered in her ear.

"What?" she asked me.

"I need to talk with you, privately."

"Alright, but what am I supposed to do with the kids?"

"Leave them with Sam."

"Are you sure? Last time we left our kids alone together only one came back."

I had been so stressed out with Isabella getting powers that I had managed to overlook the fact that Samantha was still in the woods.

"I'm not worried, Diana. I don't think it will be a huge problem if one your kids tries to read mine."

"Alright, cool."

"Mommy, what are you whispering about?" one of the twins (I think it was Elizabeth) wondered.

"She wants us to go hang out with Uncle Sam and his kids while she and Aunt Astrid go off and talk in private," Alex said.

"Could you hear us, Alex?" Diana wondered.

"Yeah, I actually have ears, despite what you and dad seem to think," Alex muttered.

Diana's face turned redder than a fire truck and quickly gestured for Alex to take the twins away.

"I'm so sorry about that. I have no idea where he finds out about some of these things," Diana apologized.

"Think your parents ever said that about you?" I wondered.

"Oh, definitely. We should probably find your daughter now, unless you'd like to leave her in the woods for the rest of her life. I wouldn't recommend that though, those kind of decisions can cause some serious psychological issues," she said lightly as if it was a joke, but I couldn't help but notice she was looking over at Caine as she said it.

**Diana Ladris**

We didn't have to go very far into the woods to find Samantha. In fact, we didn't have to go into the woods at all. Apparently, the only reason Sam hadn't been out at the same time as Isabella is that she hadn't ran out of the forest as fast as her legs could carry her like my daughter had.

"Are you alright Sweety?" Astrid wondered.

"I'm fine mom," Sam said.

"Alright, but if you find any bruises show them to me. I didn't bring a First Aid kit because it was fun toy," Astrid said.

"Ok mom," Samantha replied, before walking back to the campsite.

After Sam was gone, we just stood outside the woods.

"So, what did you want to talk with me about?" I wondered.

"Your daughter."

"Elizabeth's doing great. She has tons of friends, and all of her teachers love her. I honestly don't know how Caine and I gave birth to her."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."

"Well, right now you're not talking about anything. You're just being cryptic."

"Well, I'm trying to find a way to tell you that your husband is a dangerous sociopath recklessly toeing the line between sanity and madness, and if you're not careful he'll sculpt your daughter into an even bigger maniac without offending you."

"Quit searching, I don't want to hear it."

"You have to admit that there is some truth to it."

"There's a lot of truth to it, and that's why I don't want to hear it."

"Okay, just promise me you'll try to keep him in check."

"I'll try, but you know Caine. When he sets his mind on something there's almost nothing that can stop him."

**Caine Soren**

I couldn't believe it. Isabella had my powers. I would've preferred to have them back myself, but this was the second best thing that could've happened. I don't have a favorite of my children, but I've always had a special bond with her. I would have the same bond with the other kids, but I'm pretty sure Alex hates me, and the twins are too busy in their own little world. Plus, we've always had so much in common. We've been discussing her presidential campaign strategy since she could talk, and I was worried we'd lose that when she got caught up with boys, PMS, and all of the stuff that brings teenage girls closer to their mothers and farther away from their fathers. I'm pretty sure that she'd the only kid who doesn't like Diana better, and I was really hoping that puberty wasn't going to change that. Now, we have a connection. Can Diana teach her all about how to use her powers? Well, she technically can, since she kind of did that for me, but I would still be a much better teacher.

**A/N: Don't worry, you'll eventually get an explanation to the powers. Also, I'd like to congratulate my psychic guest reviewer for guessing exactly where this would go.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Astrid Ellison**

I had been up all night, wracking my brain for answers. There were so many questions floating around in my head. It hadn't taken long for me to figure out why people got their powers in the woods. We hadn't been camping out in the dense forest that was once part if Stefano Rey national park. When Diana and I were organizing this we figured that it might bring back bad memories if we actually camped in the FAYZ. Plus, there would be a lot of tourists since The FAYZ is a memorial now. I didn't want our families to turn into a walking tourist attraction and Diana didn't want Caine to "be more of an ass than usual" by going on about his show every time we saw a stranger. So, we decided to camp in the forest that was on the east side of the FAYZ. The part that was in the FAYZ wasn't really a forest but a random splattering of trees that implied the forest it connected to on the other side of the barrier. When reevaluating the map of the FAYZ for evidence, I discovered how close we were to the mineshaft.

My brain tried to assure me that the Gaiaphage had been completely destroyed when Lana had sacrificed herself to Little Pete, but then it hit me. He Gaiaphage was truly massive. All of it couldn't have been sucked into one tiny baby. There was most likely still a part of it in the mineshaft. If there was, why would it be giving people powers? Surely the simplest and easiest thing to do is to only give the adults who had powers their abilities back. Yet, Isabella got her father's powers. Also, why were The Breeze and Isabella the only ones who had gotten powers? They weren't the only ones who had entered the woods. The more I thought about it, the more confusing everything got.

**Samantha Temple**

It's officially our fifth day out in these stupid woods and I have given up all hope of trying to befriend Isabella. She's been even more obnoxious that usual because all she talks about are her powers and how powerful she is. Unfortunately my mom is pushing me harder than ever before to hang out with her. She says that I'll be a good influence on her, or whatever. I don't really care.

"Samantha! Check out what my dad showed me how to do!" Isabella called when she saw me.

This was not a new experience for me. In fact, it was so familiar that every time I heard the words "check out" "dad" or "powers" leave her mouth I had to resist the urge to run off screaming into the woods.

"I'm kind of busy right now," I lied.

"Doing what?" she asked.

What was I supposed to be doing? Justine was out hiking in the woods and the Gaither were all fishing by the lake. I couldn't hang out with anybody in my family because my mom would be more likely to find out that I had ditched Isabella, and I barely knew anybody else here (except for the Sorens, but hanging out with them would make it pretty hard to avoid them).

"She's hanging out with me," Brianna Mince-Talent said.

"Whatever, you can hang out with ten year olds. I'm off to find someone who truly appreciates my greatness," Isabella said.

"Thanks for saving my butt," I said to Brianna.

"It's cool, but you have to save my butt if we see Alex," Brianna said.

"Are your moms making you hang out with him?" I asked.

"No, he just keeps bugging me," she said.

"What does he do?" I asked.

"He calls me Curly and he pulls my hair. It's not like he's bullying me or anything, he's just being really annoying," she said.

"It sounds like he's flirting with you."

"Do you really think so?"

"I can't be sure, but it seems like it."

"What do I do, then?"

"Well, it depends on if you like him or not."

"Well, I don't know if I do or not. He's really cute and funny, but sometimes he gets on my nerves. What should I do if I like him?"

"I dunno, flirt back."

**Brianna Mince-Talent**

I found Alex stretched out by the lake, sipping a soda and mockingly adding sports commentary to the Gaither's fishing.

"It has now been thirty five minutes and nothing has happened yet. Can you believe that they don't televise this sport?" Alex wondered.

"Actually, there are a lot of fishing TV shows. They're really exciting!" Bruce yelled from the dock.

"I have just been informed that there are not only fishing shows, but losers who find them exciting to watch," Alex said, continuing his commentary.

"Hi," I said, sitting down next to Alex.

"Hi," he said, in his best imitation of my voice.

"So, how's life?" I wondered.

"Pretty lame. Ever since Isabella got her powers she and my dad have been obsessed with them. I'm not sure which one of them is more annoying."

"That's too bad. I don't have a dad."

I'm so stupid! He knows that! Now he just thinks I'm weird and random.

"Lucky you," Alex said.

"You don't like your dad?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"He's never at home, and when he is his first priority is my mom. Whether he's sleeping with her or arguing with her, it always takes priority over us kids."

"I see how you could be mad at him for arguing, but a man's gotta sleep doesn't he?"

Alex laughed for some reason.

"What's so funny I asked?"

"You don't know what sex is yet, do you?" he asked.

"I do! It's what people do when they want to make babies."

"It's not just for making babies, Curly."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just ask your moms."

**Dekka Mince-Talent**

I spent most of the day finishing a great book. When I was finally done with it, I walked out of my tent to see Carla shouting at Caine. My wife was short, only a few inches over five feet. Caine had to be at least six feet tall. Carla's idea of a workout was a jog from her computer to the refrigerator and back. Caine worked out almost daily to maintain what he called a "TV body." Carla's books were popular, but she was hardly a household name. Caine was a self-proclaimed television icon who was clever enough to ruin her entire career in one episode. Carla had great jokes and insults in her books, but she was a perfectionist who was always trying to rewrite her statements in real life. Caine had years of practice insulting anything and everything, which he had to able to generate lightning to fast to keep up with his wife. It wasn't a fair fight, yet Carla had still started it. That was one of the things I loved about her. She was living proof that you didn't need to be strong or fast to be brave. If you thought you were invincible, it was good enough.

"I cannot believe you! I CANNOT believe you! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU!" Carla yelled.

"Yes, I know. I'm too good to be true," Caine joked.

"Shut the hell up, Soren!" Carla shouted.

"Look, Carly. There are little kids here. I think it would be best if you wrote this down."

"I'll write it down, alright. I'll write it all over your-"

"You hold that thought and wait here. I'm gonna go get a pencil and piece of paper, and you can wrote it all down in a letter and sent it to the PO box I set up for death threats."

Carla looked like she was about to punch Caine in the face, so I decided it was time to intervene. Diana seemed to have the same idea.

"Okay, what's this all about?" I asked.

"Their son is corrupting our daughter!" Carla told me.

"What is it this time?" Diana asked.

"She came asking a whole bunch of questions about sex and she said Alex told her to ask them."

"Really that's what you're so fired up about?" Caine asked.

"She a ten year old girl. I don't know what you two tell your kids, but we don't want to destroy their innocence in a single day," Carla said.

"Neither do we," Caine exclaimed, "We haven't even had that talk with him yet. I don't even think we've had that talk with Isabella yet!"

"Of course you guys haven't," I muttered.

"Don't listen to him. I gave Isabella "the talk" in fifth grade, which is when Alex is going to get it." Diana said.

"Why wasn't I involved with that?" Caine wondered.

"You were working," Diana said.

"Well, you could've waited until I was home. That's a pretty big milestone, isn't it?" Caine said, sounding almost emotional.

"Do you really think that YOU'RE the best person to give that talk?" Diana wondered.

"Good point," Caine said.

**Diana Soren**

Later that day, Alex and I were alone in the tent.

"Hey, Alex, where did you learn so much about sex?" I asked.

"That's not an awkward question," Alex said sarcastically.

"Quit dodging the question," I told him.

"What question?" he asked.

"Tell me. Now."

"Alright. Remember that one time we went to the Golden Globes?" Alex asked.

How could I forget? Caine had a supporting role in a movie that had been nominated, so naturally he dragged us all along to "revel in his glory." I brought a magazine in my purse to read if I got bored, which meant I read it the entire time. Isabella was nine years old and spent the entire time talking about how she was going to be a movie star one day "just like daddy." I had left the twins at home with a babysitter since I knew that they wouldn't be able to make it through since they were only five. Alex had come, but I don't exactly remember what he had done which was could either be a very good sign or a very bad sign.

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, I was bored out of mind, and you must've been too because you were reading a magazine the whole time. I asked if I could read it, and you said that I couldn't," Alex said.

Alex was actually a very bright kid. When he was little he would take every opportunity he could to learn. Science was always his favorite subject. The older he got the more he seemed to care about being cool, and the less he seemed to care about school.

"Naturally, when you told me that I couldn't read it, it just made me want to read it more. Plus, dad kept looking over your shoulder to read it. You both seemed so interested in it, I just had to see what it was about. So, I read it over your shoulder. By the end of the night I not only learned where babies come from, but I also learned that dad wasn't exactly reading over your shoulder, either," Alex said.

I smiled, and laughed quietly under my breath. Alex didn't look scared that I would punish him, he just had my mischievous smirk plastered across his face.


End file.
